Meadow Lark
by Jecca89
Summary: Genna has been changed for over 500 years. Her new life with the Cullens is the only way she can finally live in peace. And she finds the love she has been looking for her whole life. How will she protect her new family from the forces that hunt her?


As I hiked slowly up the hill, it began to rain again. All of this rain. I could see the positive aspects of it, there wasn't much point in hiding out during the day if the sun never shone, but I just couldn't see how they could stand their world being wet all the time. I had been traveling for days, and I knew I was very close to my destination. I couldn't wait to get out of these wet woods. I pulled my hood up to cover my hair. My dress and traveling cloak were both almost ruined around the bottom. I wasn't too worried, however. No one makes clothes like I'm used to, so I make my own and it really is much easier. I smiled to myself as I thought of my next design idea. I had decided that once I could settle down, I would work with more vibrant colors. The usual blacks and dark greens that I used to conceal myself from others were getting a bit drab. I missed the vibrant colors from my youth during the Renaissance.

As I reached the crest of the hill, I saw a clearing up ahead. My feet moved faster and my breathing accelerated. I didn't really know what to expect. I had heard many rumors as to what the house would look like. Some said it was a typical vampire house and others said it was the most wonderful paradise. I didn't really know what either of those things meant. I'd never seen a "typical vampire house" and I'd only visited a few paradises. I didn't know what the people here would be like. I didn't know if I would even be accepted. I just knew that this is where I belong. I needed these strange "yellow eyes" to be my family. I needed them more than I even knew at the time.

I entered the clearing. There it was. The big white house I'd heard about so many times from other nomads. Yet none had done it a bit of justice. It was beautiful, perfect. No doubt it would mirror the people who called it home. I had heard about the vampires who lived here, knew them all by name, and even knew their gifts. As I took slow steps toward the gargantuan house, I wondered how they would react to me. Having been a member of the Volturi for almost two centuries, not many vampires were too accepting of me without question. That was one of the reasons I had lived in only human society for the last five decades.

I heard footsteps inside the house and I stopped moving. My defenses kicked in and I turned off everything. Because of Jasper, I halted my emotional output. Because of Edward, I stopped thinking. Anything I heard would pass straight from my ears to my brain. My eyes gathered images, but they halted at the edge of my consciousness. I felt them there, but I denied them any thought. I would not think about them. I would not dwell and let him into my mind. It was one of the only things that I had left that I felt I could say was my own.

The front door slowly opened. Out of the house came eight vampires, and 2 heartbeats. They walked slowly, deliberately. I watched them, stiffening at sudden movements, but keeping my mind and emotions shut down. I needed them to make the first move. One of them stepped forward. He smiled as he spoke. "Hello. My name is Carlisle Cullen and this is my family. Please, tell us who you are."

I did not respond. My mind only let the words slip into itself, allowing no thoughts of response for him. I just stored everything away. It was as though my brain didn't really understand him, as if it didn't know I needed to respond. I had had a bit of practice with this.

Deep within my mind, in a place I can hardly register myself, my mind decided to apparently give Jasper a tease of the emotions I should be feeling. My barrier dropped. It was down for less than a second, but it had sent the most powerful wave of happiness and joy I had ever felt straight to Jasper. I saw him stiffen, and then he smiled. He knew I was friendly, therefore letting Edward know that there was nothing to fear. I had sent no feelings of desire to intrude of harm any of them. Just pure joy.

Just as the rain turned into a fine mist, a car turned off a highway nearby. The sound simply slipped into my ears and, I'm sure, reverberated in Edward's mind.

"Charlie!" someone said.

"Please," the first man spoke again. "Tell us your name. We will not harm you. There is no cause to be afraid."

This time, I smiled. I couldn't help it. And with that smile, my thoughts and emotions gained their own again. No hiding now… oh well.

Carlisle stepped closer, extending his hand. "You will be safe here. But I must tell you. A man is coming here now, a human. Please do not harm him."

I let out a soft chuckle at his last words. "Oh, sir." I spoke, listening to soft sound of my own satin voice as I chose my words. "Now why would I want to do that?" I reached up and lowered my hood, exposing my hair to the mist and letting the Cullens see my bright golden eyes for the first time. I heard two of them gasp and two heartbeats accelerate. "My name is Sariah Genevieve. May I come into your beautiful home?"

Smiles broke out all around. I reached forward and took Carlisle's hand so he could help me up the steps. As I reached the porch, a police cruiser pulled into the driveway and a man got out. I turned around as one of the heartbeats, the female, called out, "Hi Grandpa!" He turned and waved toward the porch. As he did, the wind shifted, causing the man's scent to hit us all in the face like a jackhammer. I recoiled. Overcome with a powerfully disgusted emotion, my mind opened up and shouted "Yuck!" It happened before I could stop it, and by the time I had recovered, which took all of one second, everyone was frozen where they stood. I forgot how my gift could shock others so easily.

"What's so gross?" asked the human, who had just reached the stairs to the porch. I smiled quickly to recover for my mistake.

"I'm sorry. That was me. I think I must have walked through some mud. My shoes are filthy." I lifted the skirt of my dress a few inches to expose my walking shoes. They were indeed covered in sticky mud. How lucky I was that it rained here often.

The human smiled. "Well, no harm done. And a little mud never did any harm to anyone, least of all a pretty thing like you." What a charming man. "I'm Charlie, by the way. I don't think we've met."

"You're right. I would remember a handsome face like yours." I smiled warmly, hoping my words were as charming as his. "I'm Genna. It's lovely to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Genna. I'm Charlie. Let's all get inside. It's too wet out here today." And Charlie led the way into the big white house.


End file.
